Commencement

Graduates are requested to register for commencement online by completing the Commencement Registration form. Please note: Registering for the ceremony is not a reservation for guest seating.

Be sure to submit a Graduation Application for each degree or certificate you are earning. If you submit a graduation application by April 30, your name will be listed in the Commencement Program List. If you apply after April 30, you can still participate in the Ceremony and your name will be read during the Ceremony but it will not appear in the Commencement Program.

Students earning two-year degrees are eligible to receive Graduation High and Highest Honors, which may be listed in the Commencement Program.  (Certificate-only students are not eligible for Graduation honors). Honors are based on overall College Level Grade Point Average. Honors are as follows: 3.75-3.89 GPA High Honor earns Silver Cord; 3.9-4.0 GPA Highest Honor earns White Cord. Students receiving honors will receive information from Enrollment Services regarding picking up honor cords.

Graduates are required to check-in between 5:30–6:30 pm at the concessions stand.

You will check in between 5:30–6:30 pm at the concessions stand behind the stadium to receive your sign-in card. You will receive two cards listing your name and your degree or certificate (and your email for the photographer). You will hand one card to the photographer as you enter the platform. You will hand the other card to the name reader as you cross the stage during ceremony. As you cross the platform, our College President Timothy Stokes will congratulate you and present you with a Diploma Cover. (Your actual diploma will be mailed to you in a few months.)

Graduation cap and gown, tassel and regalia are sold at the Bookstore.

All graduates participating in the Commencement Ceremony will wear the traditional cap and gown. The graduation cap, gown, and tassel are now on sale for $43.50 (includes tax) in the SPSCC Bookstore during April, May and June. Purchase early for proper size and fit. The bookstore is located in the Student Union Building (SUB), Building 27, and will also have information about ordering announcements and graduation diploma frames. Contact Student Life in Building 27, (360) 596-5212, regarding a loaner cap and gown.

Ample stadium and nearby parking is available.  Ingersoll Lot parking is reserved for ADA parking only. General parking is available at the high school’s North Street parking lot, Pioneer Elementary, and The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepard.  Please do not park on neighborhood streets. See the Olympia School District website for more on parking and directions.

Guest seating is outdoors but covered in the stadium. The first several rows will be reserved for guests who require special assistance and their parties. Stadium seating is fully accessible. Hearing-impaired guests are invited to field-level seating and should inform an usher to find a seat (two guests max in field-level party).  Student seating is on the field; the area will be shaded but is not covered. In the event of rain, no change will occur. Please bring precautions such as umbrellas, towels to wipe chairs, etc.Be sure to wear appropriate footwear for the field. Ushers will be available to assist with open seating for guests.

ADA parking is available in the Ingersoll Lot and provides direct access to stadium seating. The first several rows of stadium seating will be reserved for guests who require special assistance and their parties, though all stadium seating is fully accessible. Hearing-impaired guests are invited to field-level seating and should inform an usher to find a seat (two guests max in field-level party).  If you have guests that will require special seating, please note this when you complete the Commencement Registration Form. Note: This form is not a reservation; it is for planning purposes only.

Staff members will help graduates line up for the processional behind the stadium near the concessions stand, beginning at 6:30 pm. Plan to take all items with you to the Ceremony and do not leave personal items behind. Cap tassels should be worn on the right side of your cap. Graduates will receive further instructions when checking in for their name cards and ushers will provide direction throughout the ceremony.

The ceremony begins at 7:00 pm and traditionally lasts just under two hours (ending approximately 8:45 pm).  Once the platform party has exited and the ceremony has officially concluded, you may greet your guests.

Sign language interpreters will be present during the ceremony.

Professional photographers will offer individual sessions from 4:30 to 6 pm near the concessions stand check-in area. They will also take a photo of each graduate crossing the stage and will send an email to students’ SPSCC email with information for ordering photographs online.

The ceremony will be taped by TCTV.  A schedule of viewing times will be available at: http://www.tctv.net/

Please respect the rules of the stadium, set by the Olympia School District:

• All Olympia School District facilities are tobacco, alcohol, other drug, and weapons free areas.
• No skateboards, skates, or bikes are allowed in the stadium.
• No food, seeds, gum, sports drinks, or flavored water may be on the turf or track surfaces – water only.
• Cow bells, air horns, and other noise makers are prohibited at all times.